MUST-READ NOTICE
A new bill – SB 1024 – threatens rooftop solar growth in Florida.
It will be heard in its first State Senate committee on the first day of Session and we’ve already called on our advocates who live in the committee members’ districts to share their concerns with their Senator. While you do not live in one of the key districts for this committee, your State Senator or Representative may be on key committees that will hear this bill as it continues through the legislative process. If you’d be willing to be tapped when your voice can make the biggest difference, please sign up to receive updates and indicate your willingness to speak up for renewable energy.
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Visual Storytelling of Florida Gardening
By Joelle O’Daniel-Lopez
When we purchased our home ten years ago, it had the typical suburban NW Florida yard with a mix of the good, the bad, and the ugly. We were fortunate to have several well-established “good” trees, including live and laurel oaks (Quercus virginiana & Quercus laurifolia), southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), and black cherry trees (Prunus serotina). The deciduous live oaks (Quercus virginiana), which appear to be evergreen, anchor the yard by spreading a wide dome-like canopy of strong, dense branches with dark green waxy leaves. Our trees shelter an astonishing variety of wildlife. This past spring, a kaleidoscopic mix of migrating birds busily refueled on the insects and caterpillars in the branches.
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CONSERVE
Let’s hear it for beauty! Especially the native shrub Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) this time of year. Also known as French Mulberry (sounds fancy, doesn’t it?) this native does well in both sun and shade and without our needing to fuss over it. It even grows in sandy soils with little care. In summer, the groups of small white flowers line the stems and provide for pollinators. …more
EXPERIENCE
Dr. Henry M. Stevenson, a senior author of “The Birdlife of Florida” and professor of Ornithology at FSU (now deceased) and one of our mentors, told us once that “a birder’s reputation starts at zero and goes down from there.” Boy, was he right! The year was 1973 and Lucy and I had been birding for only a few years, with just enough knowledge to feel comfortable reporting birds on the Florida hotline. …more
ENJOY
For a few weeks, my eBird list numbers have been less than usual. This year’s young Northern Cardinals, Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmice and House Finches have scattered to find their own digs and I’m not having to refill the sunflower seed feeders quite so often. Some birds do not stick around for the winter here so most of the hummingbirds are gone, …more